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Any phone • Scams • 5–10 minutes

How to spot scam emails

The golden ruleThe golden rule: if someone creates URGENCY and asks for MONEY or PERSONAL INFORMATION, stop. It is almost certainly a scam. A real company will never rush you, and it will wait while you check.
This guide is about scam emails: fake messages that pretend to be a company you trust. Take your time. Nothing in this guide can hurt your phone.

  1. Scam emails: messages pretending to be a company you trust

    Common ones: Fake "security alert" or "your account will be closed" emails pretending to be Apple, Google, or Facebook. Fake invoices or receipts for things you never bought. Prize and lottery "wins." Password-reset emails you never asked for.

    Red flags: Tap the sender’s NAME to reveal the REAL email address. If it is not from the company’s real domain, for example not @apple.com, it is fake. Watch for a generic greeting like "Dear customer" instead of your name, threats or urgency, and spelling mistakes.

    Check a link before you tap it: Press and hold on any link (or hover over it on a computer) to preview where it really goes before tapping. If the address shown is not the company’s real website, do not tap it.

    What to do: Do NOT tap links and do NOT open attachments. Go to the company’s real website or app yourself, the way you normally would. In Gmail or Apple Mail, mark the message as phishing or spam, so similar messages get filtered next time.

  2. The pause test: three questions to ask yourself

    Before you do ANYTHING a stranger asks: pause. Ask yourself three questions: Are they rushing me? Do they want money or personal information? Did I contact them, or did they contact me? If they rushed you, want money or info, and THEY contacted YOU, it is a scam. When in doubt, ask a family member or friend before doing anything. A real company will wait.

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